Chorology and chorography are both areas of study in the field of geography but have a different focus.
Chorology
Chorology is the study of places and regions, also referred to as regional geography. Chronology stems from the Greek word khōros for “place” or “space” and the suffix -logy for study of.
Chorology looks at causal relations between geographical phenomena occurring within a particular region and the study of the spatial distribution of organisms.
Alfer Hettner (August 6, 1859 – August 31, 1941), a German geographer was the first main contemporary proponent of viewing the geography discipline as a chronological science, which studies diverse phenomena existing together in regions of the earth’s space. Hettner proposed this approach in his methodological essay published in the first issue of his journal, Geographische Zeitschrift published in 1895.
The goal of the chorological point of view is to know the character of regions and places through comprehension of the existence together and interrelations among different realms of reality and their varied manifestations, and to comprehend the earth surface as a whole in its actual arrangement in continents, larger and smaller regions, and places. (Hettner as quoted in Richard Hartshone’s The Nature of Geography, 1939).
The earliest known reference to the study of geography from a regional perspective can be found in Strabo’s Geography where he wrote, “The geographer is the person who attempts to describe parts of the earth“. (Geography, AD 18 – 24).
Chorography
Chorography is a branch of geography that focuses on the detailed and descriptive mapping or description of specific regions, districts, or locales. Unlike general geography, which often deals with large-scale physical or political boundaries, chorography emphasizes the unique features, landscapes, and characteristics of smaller, defined areas.
The term chorography is derived from the Greek word “chōra,” meaning “region” or “place,” and the the suffix -graphy from the Greek word “graphein” meaning “to write”. Chorography was commonly used in ancient and early modern geographical works.
This article was originally written on January 31, 2016 and has since been updated.
References
Cresswell, T. (2013). Geographic Thought: A Critical Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell.
Dixshit, R.D. (1997). Geographical Thought: A Contextual History of Ideas. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India.
